Casket placing device



Sept. l5, 1942. E. GEHL'BACH 2.295,64@

y GASKET PLAcIG nEvIpE A original 'Filed Feb. s, i940 sheets-sheet 1 c. E. .GEHLBACH 2,295,646 GASKET PLAcING DEVICE rsept. 15, 1942.

Original Filed Feb. 5, 1940 2 Sheetsheet 2 Patented Sept. l5, 1942 UNHTED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to casket placing devices of that general class shown and described in my copending application filed in the United States Patent Office on the th day of February, 1940, under Serial Number 317,426, and bearing Patent No. 2,249,126, the present application constituting a division thereof.

'I'he object of the invention is to provide a casket placing device comprising a frame adapted to be positioned over a grave and provided with main and auxiliary supporting rollers on which the casket is initially placed during the burial ceremony, means being provided for releasing the auxiliary rollers to permit lowering of the casket on the main rollers and means for l releasing the main rollers when the casket reaches its lowermost position to permit said main rollers to swing or drop to the side of a grave and out of the way while the casket is being lowered into the grave.

A further object is to provide the supporting frame with auxiliary stub rollers Yextending inwardly from opposite sides of the frame at approximately the center thereof, and means associated with the auxiliary stub: rollers for locking the same in operative position and releasing said stub rollers prior to lowering the casket.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve this class of devices so as to increase their utility, durability and efficiency.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specication and in which similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a casket placing device embodying the present invention, showing the same in position on a supporting frame or lowering device,

Figure 2 is a top plan View,

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the mechanis employed for normally holding the auxiliary stub rollers in a horizontal position,

Figure 4 is a similar view showing the position of the parts when the operating lever is moved to released position to permit dropping of the auxiliary stub rollers,

Figure 5 is a side elevation of Figure 4 showing in dotted lines the normal position` of the adjacent stub and in full lines said stub roller in lowered or released position,

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the mechanism shown in Figure 3 detached, the parts being separated for sake of clearness, and

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view takenk The device comprises an elongated frame 5 adapted to be positioned over a grave and rest on a supporting frame or standard lowering devices, indicated at F. The frame comprises longitudinally disposed side bars 6 having their inner ends spaced apart and slidably mounted in a connecting casing I so as to permit longitudinal adjustment of the bars to shorten or lengthen the frame, said bars being held in adjusted position by clamping screws or similar fastening devices 8 which extend through the casing 'I and engage the bars, as best shown in Figure 1 of the drawings.

Secured to the longitudinal bars 6 are depending vertical frames 9 in which are mounted sliding blocks I0 carrying main supporting rollers II. The sliding blocks I0 are adjustable vertically within the frames 9 by means of threaded rods I2, the upper ends of which are provided with worm gears I3 which engage corresponding worms I4 on longitudinally disposed operating shafts, indicated at I5. The outer ends of the shafts I5 are provided with sprocket wheels I6, over which are trained sprocket chains Il operatively connected with a relatively large sprocket wheel I8 for rotating the shafts I5 to eiect raising and lowering of the sliding blocks I0 andthe main rollers II supported thereby. The main rollers II are mounted in the sliding blocks I Il in such a manner that, when the blocks I 0 reach the lower ends of the frames 9, said main rollers will be automatically released to permit the rollers to swing downwardly at the side of the grave and thus offer no obstruction to the lowering of the casket within the grave.

The parts just referred toy are fully shown, described and claimed in my previously mentioned copending application and further description thereof is deemed unnecessary, the novel features of the present invention residing in the construction of the auxiliary stub rollers and means associated therewith for locking said stub: rollers in operative position and releasing the stub rollers prior to lowering the casket and which mechanism will now be described.

Secured to the casing 'I on each side of the frame 5 is a plate I9 and pvotally mounted, at 20, on the plate is a cam 2l having an angular opening 22 in one side thereof. Pivotally mounted, at 23, on the plate I9 is an operating lever 24 which is, in turn, pivoted, at 25, to the cam ZI so thatl longitudinal movement imparted to the lever 24 will turn the cam so as to cause the opening 22 therein to register with a correspondingly shaped opening 26 in the plate I9,

The lever 24 is provided with a slot 2`| and a spring 28 is preferably interposed between the head of the pivot 23 and the lever 24 so as to hold said lever against the plate |9. The outer end of the lever 24 is cut away, as indicated at 29, to accommodate the cam 2|, said lever being provided with a recess 30 disposed opposite the cut away portion 29 and in which is hingedly mounted, at 3|, a bearing block 32 carrying an auxiliary stub roller, indicated at 33. The auxiliary stub rollers 33 extend inwardly at opposite sides of the frame 5 at approximately the center thereof and serve to assist in supporting the casket when in position on the device and prior to lowering the same into the grave.

Pivotally mounted, at 34, on the plate I3 is a locking pawl 35, the inner end of which is adapted to engage a locking notch 36 formed in the lever 24 for the purpose of preventing turning movement of the cam 2|. It will thus be seen that the cam 2| normally extends across the opening 2B in the plate I9 so as to cause the lug 31 on the bearing block 32 to bear against the adjacent face of the cam and thus hold the adjacent stub roller 33 normally in a horizontal position. When the pawl 35 is released, however, and a longitudinal pull is 'exerted on the lever 24, the cam 2i will be rotated on its pivot 23 so as to cause` the slot 22 therein to register with the slot 23 in the plate I9 which permits the stub or auxiliary roller 33 together with the bearing' block 32 to swing downwardly to inoperative positionv and in which position the free end of the lug 3l engages the end wall of the slot 22, as best shown in Figures 4, 5 and 7 of the drawings.

In operation, the device is positioned over a grave with the lower portion of the supporting frame resting on the end rails of the lowering mechanism F, after which the sprocket wheel I8 is rotated to operate the shafts I5 which, in turn, rotate the threaded rods 2| and thus elevate the sliding blocks l0 to bring the main rollers at the top of the frame. The casket is then placed on the end roller 38 and moved rearwardly over the main rollers and stub rollers 33 so as to support the casket in position to be lowered onto the lowering device. Prior to lowering the casket, the levers 24 are actuated to release the auxiliary stub rollers 33 which, as previously stated, swing downwardly on their pivotal axes 3| and out of the way, it being understood that these auxiliary stub rollers are for the purpose of supporting the central portion of the casket when in position on the frame. The sprocket wheel |8 is then rotated to lower the sliding blocks I0 carrying the main rollers and casket and when the sliding blocks I0 reach the ylower ends of the frames 9, said main rollers are also automatically released and swing downwardly inside the grave to permit lowering of the casket into the grave in the manner set forth in my copending application.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, it is thought that the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood by those skilled in the art and further description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

It will, of course, be understood that the casket placing devices may be made in different sizes `and shapes and constructed of any suitable material without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed `as new is:

1. A casket placing device including a frame adapted to be positioned over a grave, a supporting member pivotally mounted on the frame, a stub roller cooperating with the supporting member and pivotally mounted for downward swinging movement with respect thereto, means for locking the supporting member in one position to hold the stub roller in a horizontal plane, and means for moving the supporting member to another position to effect release of the roller holding means when said locking means is released.

2. A casket placing device including a frame adapted to be positioned over a grave, a supporting member pivotally mounted on the frame, a roller cooperating with said member and pivotally mounted for downward swinging movement with respect thereto, means for locking the supporting member in one position, means carried by said member and coacting with the frame for holding the roller in a horizontal plane when the supporting member is in said position, and means for moving the supporting member to another position to effect release of the roller holding means when said locking means is released.

3. A casket placing device including a frame adapted to be positioned over a grave and provided with a recess, a supporting member eccentrically mounted on the frame, a bearing member operatively connected with the supporting member for pivotal movement with respect thereto and adapted to register with the recess in the frame, a roller carried by the bearing member, means for locking the supporting member in one position to hold the roller in a horizontal plane, and means for moving the supporting member to a position with the bearing member registering with the recess in the frame to effect release of the roller holding means.

4. A casket placing device including a frame adapted to be positioned over a grave, a plate secured to one side of the frame and provided with a recess, a cam eccentrically mounted on the plate and provided with a recess adapted to register with the recess in the plate, an operating lever pivotally connected with the cam and having its inner end cut away, a bearing block pivotally mounted in the cut away portions of the lever, and a stub roller carried by the bearing block, said block normally bearing against the cam to hold the stub roller in a horizontal position and said lever serving to rotate the cam to cause the bearing block to register with the recesses in the cam and plate and permit the stub roller to swing downwardly.

5. A casket placing device including a fran/1e, a plate secured to the frame and provided with a recess, a cam eccentrically mounted for rotation on the plate and provided with a peripheral recess adapted to register with the recess in the plate, an operating lever pivotally mounted on the plate and pivotally 'connected with the cam, said operating lever having its inner end cut away, a bearing block hingedl'y mounted in the cut away portion o'f the lever, and a roller carried by the bearing `block and normally held in a horizontal position by engagement of 'the bearing block with said cam, said lever serving to move the cam to permit the bearing block to register with the recesses in the plate and cam respectively and the roller to swing downwardly.

6. A device of the class described comprising a supporting plate having a recess therein, a cam eccentrically mounted on the plate and provided with a peripheral recess adapted to register with the recess in the plate, an operating lever pivotally mounted on the plate and pivotally connected with the cam, a bearing blockpivotally mounted on the lever and normally bearing against the cam, a roller carried by the bearing block, and means for locking the cam against turning movement, said lever serving to move the cam to cause the recesses in the cam and plate to register and permit the roller to swing downwardly when the locking means is released.

'7. A casket placing device including a frame, a casing secured to the frame, a cam eccentrically mounted within the casing and provided with a peripheral recess, lever pivotally mounted within the casing and pivotally connected with the cam, a pawl pivotally mounted within the casing and engaging the lever for holding said lever in a set position, the inner end of the lever being provided with a cut away portion, a bearing block hingedly mounted in the cut away portion of the lever, a roller carried by said bearing block, a lug formed on the bearing block and adapted to normally bear against the cam for holding the roller in horizontal position, and a slot` formed in the lever at the pivot thereof to permit movement of the lever to rotate the cam and bring the lug of the bearing block in alinement with the recess in the can thereby to allow the roller to drop downwardly.

CLARENCE E. GEHLBACH. 

